The First Part Of Volume I, The Dawn Of Indian Civilization Upto 600 Bc, Published Earlier, Traces The Development Of Civilization In India Upto The End Of The Vedic Age. The Second Part Presented Here Begins With The Epics, The Sutras Formulating Systems Of Philosophies, The Sciences And The Hererodox Movements, And Goes On To Trace Upto 300 Ad The Emergence Of A New Civic Order In The Ancient Lands Of Taxila And Pataliputra Among Others. This Efflorescence Is Reflected In The New Traditions Of Art Beginning With The Mauryan Emperor Asoka, In The Enrichment Of Meterial Culture As Evidenced In The Arthasastra, In The Expansion Of Oceanic Trade Eloquently Described In The Periplus Maris Erythraei And In The New Movements Of Universal Salvation Such As Mahayana. Here For The First Time Historians, Philosophers And Scientists Have Joined Hands To Help Create A New Understanding Of The Human Past In The Indic Context.